Men are twice as likely as women to delay going to the doctor because they’re scared something is wrong

Almost three-quarters of men don’t know they can check themselves for testicular cancer

Toronto, October 31st – In a random sampling of public opinion taken by The Forum Poll™, 1,263 Canadians 16 years of age or older were surveyed on current health issues.

The poll was done in partnership with the Movember Foundation and focused on men’s health issues centering around prostate cancer, testicular cancer, mental health, and social connections.

Younger, and lower-income, Canadians are less likely to know a family history of prostate cancer puts men at a greater risk

When asking respondents whether they know that having a family history of prostate cancer puts men at a greater risk of the disease, 80% said yes; 80% of males knew this, along with 81% of female respondents.

Younger respondents were significantly less likely to know that a family history of prostate cancer puts men at a greater risk of the disease when compared to those over 35 (66% for <34, compared to 86% for those 35+).

Those in a lower household income bracket were significantly less likely to know this information when compared to those of a high-income bracket; 77% of those with a household income of

LGBTQ+ males are more likely to indicate a history of prostate or testicular cancer in their family

19% of respondents indicated they had a history of prostate or testicular cancer in their family, followed by 74% saying they didn’t, while 7% didn’t know.

Male respondents who self identified with the LGBTQ+ community were more likely to indicate a family history of prostate or testicular cancer when compared to those who didn’t self-identify with the community (30%, compared to 17%). Those males who self-identified with the LGBTQ+ community are a small sample size so please consider this when interpreting the results of this poll.

Older respondents were also more likely to indicate a family history of prostate or testicular cancer (22% of 35+, compared to 12% of <34).

Those from Atlantic Canada were significantly more like to indicate a family history of prostate or testicular cancer when compared to the rest of the country (34%, compared to 13%-20%).

Almost three-quarters of men don’t know they can check themselves for testicular cancer

All respondents were asked whether men can check themselves for testicular cancer or whether they need to go to a healthcare professional to get checked.

Only 29% said men could check themselves while 55% said they needed to go to a doctor. 15% did not know.

Looking at only male responses, one third (32%) said they could check themselves and 59% said they needed to go to a doctor. 10% did not know. It should be noted that men can check themselves for testicular cancer.

Half of all men have been checked for prostate cancer

51% of male respondents have been checked by a doctor or healthcare professional for prostate cancer.

Older respondents were significantly more likely to say they have been checked (80% for those 55+, compared to 34% for those <34-54).

Those male respondents from the Atlantic (35%) and Manitoba, Saskatchewan, and Nunavut (23%) were significantly less likely to say they were checked when compared to those from British Columbia / Yukon (68%), Quebec (60%), Alberta / Northwest Territories (51%), and Ontario (50%).

Males are more likely to have fewer close friends, LGBTQ+ males are more likely to have no close friends

When asking respondents how many people they consider to be their close friends, 46% said they had at least 5 close friends, followed by one in four (25%) stating they had 3-4 close friends.

One fifth (18%) of respondents indicated they had 1-2 close friends, while 11% said they had no close friends when excluding their family.

Male respondents were significantly more likely to have 1-2 close friends when compared to female respondents (24%, compared to 13%), while female respondents were more likely to have at least 3 close friends (75%, compared to 68%).

Males who self-identified with the LGBTQ+ community were more likely to say they had no close friends when compared to hetero-male respondents (24%, compared to 7%).

Younger respondents were more likely to say they see their close friends daily when compared to older respondents (34% for <34, compared to 23% for 35+).

Canadian men are less likely to speak openly about personal issues or health problems with close friends

When asking if they feel they can talk openly about their personal issues or health problems with close friends, 63% said yes, they always could, followed by 35% saying yes, but only sometimes.

2% said they could never openly talk about personal issues or health problems with close friends.

Female respondents were significantly more likely to say they were always open to talking about personal issues or health problems when compared to male respondents (69%, compared to 56%) while male respondents were significantly more likely to say yes, but sometimes (42% v. 29%).

Males who self-identified with the LGBTQ+ community were more likely to say they can always talk openly when compared to those males who don’t (80%, compared to 55%).

Family is by far the most important aspect of life

Family was considered most important aspect of life by more than half of all Canadians surveyed (55%).

Health (13%) and money (11%) trailed well behind.

9% said friends, 2% said romantic relationships, 1% said their career, and 1% said their car. 7% said it was something else.

Female respondents were significantly more likely to say family was their most important aspect of life when compared to male respondents (65%, compared to 45%). Male respondents were significantly more likely to say money (15%) and friends (14%) were the most important aspects when compared to female respondents (7%, 4%).

Male respondents were slightly likely to say health was the most important aspect when compared to female respondents (15%, compared to 11%). Males who self-identified with the LGBTQ+ community were significantly more likely to say health was the most important aspect when compared to hetero males (33%, compared to 13%).

Those respondents with a household income of $100,000+ were significantly more likely to say family was their most important aspect of life (78%), when compared to those in the lower household income brackets (53% for

3 in 5 Canadians do not wait longer than a month to make an appointment to address a health concern

When asked what is the longest they have waited before making an appointment about a health concern, one in four Canadians indicated they’ve waited less than one week (25%), followed by over one third (35%) waiting 2 to 4 weeks.

17% have waited 1 to 2 months while 8% have waited 3 to 6 months. 13% have waited over 6 months.

2% have never made an appointment while 1% have never waited.

Male respondents were significantly more likely to wait over 6 months when compared to females (16%, compared to 9%). Males who did not self-identify with the LGBTQ+ community were more likely to wait over 6 months when compared to those males who do (16%, compared to 5%).

One in four Canadians are too busy to make an appointment about a health concern

When only asking those who waited at least 2 weeks to make an appointment about a health concern, what their reasoning was for waiting, 24% said they did not have time, followed by 15% delaying because they feared something was seriously wrong. 10% indicated they have a fear of doctors.

8% delayed making an appointment because they were embarrassed to talk about their health concern, followed by 5% saying their concerns weren’t serious and to “toughen up”. 2% were concerned they’d be judged as weak and another 2% were embarrassed to show parts of their body.

27% said there was something else that delayed them making an appointment and 6% said it was nothing on the list provided.

Male respondents were significantly more likely to say they delayed making an appointment for a health concern because they feared something being seriously wrong when compared to females (21%, compared to 8%). More specifically, self-identified hetero-males were more likely to delay appointments due to fear that something might be seriously wrong when compared to LGBTQ+ males (19%, compared to 9%).

Males who self-identified with the LGBTQ+ community were also more likely to have a fear of doctors (18%, compared to 10%), and were more embarrassed to show parts of their body (10%, compared to 2%).

1 in 5 Canadians have not had a routine check-up within the last year

When asking when the last time was they saw a doctor or healthcare professional for a routine check-up, one in four (23%) Canadians said in the past month, followed by 23% saying they went for a check-up in the past 1 to 3 months.

12% had a check-up in the past 4 to 6 months while 15% said its been 7 to 12 months.

Over one fifth (22%) said its been over a year since they saw a doctor or healthcare professional for a routine check-up. 5% did not remember.

Older respondents were significantly more likely to have had a routine check-up in the past year than younger respondents (82% for 35+, compared to 50% for <34).

2 in 5 Canadians see a doctor annually for a routine check-up

When asked how often they go to see a doctor or health care professional for a routine check-up, 34% respondents indicated less than once a year.

39% said they see a doctor once a year, followed by 9% saying twice a year. 5% go 3 to 4 times a year, while 3% go at least five times a year.

9% indicated they never go for a routine check-up.

While 44% of male respondents indicated they see a doctor annually for a routine check-up, 12% indicated they never see a doctor for a check-up; this is significantly more than females (7%).

It should also be noted that males were significantly more likely to say they go once a year when compared to female respondents (44%, compared to 36%).

1 in 10 have been dishonest about their health with their doctor

When asked if they have ever been dishonest about their health with their doctor or healthcare professional, 12% said yes.

Females were more likely to be dishonest with their doctor or healthcare professional about their health when compared to male respondents (14%, compared to 10%). Male respondents who did not self identify with the LGBTQ+ community were more likely to be dishonest (11%, compared to 4%).

Younger respondents were also more likely to say they have been dishonest with their doctor when compared to older respondents (14% for <34-54, compared to 8% for 55+).

From Forum:

“Men are twice as likely as women to delay making a Doctor’s appointment because they fear something is seriously wrong,” said Dr. Lorne Bozinoff, President of Forum Research. “And generally, men have fewer close friends on average than women, meaning they don’t have as many confidants with whom to share these fears. One thing this survey made clear is that more testicular cancer awareness amongst men is needed, because only a third (32%) say they can check themselves; which is true.”

Lorne Bozinoff, Ph.D. is the president and founder of Forum Research. He can be reached at lbozinoff@forumresearch.com or at (416) 960-9603.

From Movember:

“We encourage men to know their health risks and to take action for themselves when necessary. This research shows there’s still a way to go, but taking part in Movember is a great place to start looking after yourself as well as those around you.” said Ken Aucoin, Country Director Canada, Movember Foundation. “For instance, knowing it’s a good idea to proactively check yourself for testicular cancer can make all the difference in catching it early. We hope lots of men will sign up this Movember to raise funds and awareness for men’s health, and kick off being proactive about their health.”